August 14, 2010

I made a trip out to the store earlier & found an awesome deal on Sirloin Tip Roast. I have been craving some Italian Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches for a while now, so I immediately picked out a nice roast, & went to check out - hurrying home so I would have time for it to slow cook. I adore these sandwiches, and so does everyone else that has tried them. Every time I prepare these, my oldest daughter exclaims 'Now, that's a sandwich!'. Gotta love her! And, you just gotta love these!!

Sear the sirloin tip roast on both sides for a couple of minutes in a hot skillet.

Place the roast inside of your slow cooker. Stir in 1 cup of beef broth into the Italian Spice Blend. Pour the combined mixture over the meat.

Pour in the juice from the jar of pepperoncinis & 1/4 cup of Italian Salad Dressing. Pull off - or cut off -the stems of the peppers & add those in the mix as well.

Cook on low heat for 8 hours, or until meat starts to fall apart when poked with a fork.

Now, while the meat is slowcookin' - let's make those Onion Sandwich Rolls! My husband swears they are what make the sandwich, & I have to agree. It just wouldn't be as good without these!

First, dice up one large onion & saute it in a few tablespoons of butter on the stove top.

Put the sauteed onions to the side while we work on the dough. I use my bread maker for this because it makes the job much easier. Place 3/4 cup warm milk, 1/4 cup warm water, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1/4 cup ground oats, reserved sauteed onions, 3 cups of all purpose flour, & 1 (.25oz) packet of yeast into the pan of your bread maker in the order suggested by the manufacturer. I have the ingredients listed in the order that I put them in mine (a Sunbeam bread machine).

Set your machine to the dough setting.

When it is done, remove the dough & place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces & shape into oblong hoagies or big round rolls. I use a pizza cutter to easily slice through the dough when dividing it (a trick that my lovely mother uses for her mind-blowing biscuits!). Place the dough on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam (I use 2 baking sheets so I don't overcrowd the buns), & place in a warm place for an hour to rise.

After the dough has risen - slice up a medium onion & saute until nice & browned.

Combine 1 egg white with 1 tbsp of water - brush on top of the risen rolls. Then top with the sauteed onions.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at in a 325 degree oven. Remove & let cool before slicing in half.

When you are ready to serve these awesome sandwiches, slice open the rolls & top with the shredded meat & a couple slices of white cheese. I have used Monterrey Jack, Provolone, & Swiss - and they are all delightful. I also saute up another large onion to go on top of the meat.

Serve it by itself, or along side a bowl of the Au Jus. Either way, this is delish!

Italian Pepperoncini Shredded Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the shredded beef:

1 (2 pound) boneless sirloin tip roast, seared on each side

Italian Spice Blend (recipe below)

1 cup beef broth

1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini, undrained

For the Italian Spice Blend:

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

1 tablespoon white sugar

4 tablespoons Italian Herbs (Italian Seasoning)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

2 tablespoons salt

For the Onion Sandwich Rolls:

3/4 cup lukewarm milk

5 tablespoons lukewarm water

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 large onions, (1 diced & 1 sliced) sauteed - and divided

1/4 cup oats

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Place the milk, water, butter, salt, sugar, onion powder, diced sauteed onion, oats, flour and yeast into the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and press Start.

When the cycle has completed, remove the dough from the machine & cut into 8 equal pieces, and form into balls or oblong hoagies. Place on a baking sheet, and cover loosely with a towel. Set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the egg white and water in a cup. Brush over the tops of the risen rolls, and sprinkle with remaining sliced sauteed onion.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool completely, then slice in half horizontally before using.

For the beef:

Place roast in slow cooker. Combine the Italian Spice Blend & beef broth; pour over roast & add in the pepperonicis.. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat; shred with a fork and return to slow cooker.

Pile on sliced Onion Rolls & top with sliced white cheese, sauteed onions, and pepperoncini from the slowcooker if you wish.